Apparatus for discharging threshed materials directly from the rotor of an axial flow combine

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for discharging threshed crop materials, in a relatively uniform manner across the body width of the combine, directly from the discharge end of a threshing and separating rotor in an axial flow combine without the need for additional apparatus at the discharge end of the rotor to discharge the threshed materials or to avoid plugging or bunching of crop materials between the rotor and rotor casing. The rotor extends longitudinally through the combine to a discharge area at the discharge end of the rotor. The rotor casing closely surrounds the rotor near the discharge end and guide vanes disposed in the rotor casing cooperate with separating elements circumferentially disposed about the rotor near the discharge end to positively move threshed materials toward the discharge end of the rotor. The casing terminates short of the discharge end of the rotor in progressively increasing angular widths in the direction of the discharge end such that the materials are tangentially discharged from differing circumferential points of the rotor exposed by the casing terminations for a multi-stream discharge. A deflector plate disposed below the exposed portions of the rotor deflects the discharged materials rearwardly for enhanced dispersion and reduces the discharge velocity.

This invention relates to discharging threshed crop materials from anaxial flow combine and is more particularly concerned with improvementsin providing a relatively uniform dispersion of the threshed cropmaterials across the body width of the combine directly from thedischarge end of a threshing and separating rotor, longitudinallydisposed in the combine, by closely surrounding the rotor with the rotorcasing near the discharge end thereof for positive movement of the cropmaterials toward the discharge end, but terminating the casing short ofthe discharge end such that the threshed materials discharge from therotor at differing tangential points for deflection by a deflectingplate disposed below the discharge end of the rotor before dropping tothe ground or being introduced to chopping or spreading apparatus.

A number of differing types of axial flow combines for harvestingvarious types of agricultural crops are known to the prior art. Suchprior art combines have a generally cylindrical threshing and separatingrotor disposed in the combine for removing grain or corn from the stems,stalks, cobs or the like of the crop materials. In many of the prior artaxial flow combines, the rotor is relatively short and terminatesinternally in the combine well short of the discharge area of thecombine. An expansion chamber is often provided at the discharge end ofthe rotor for moving the threshed materials by means of additionaldischarge apparatus, such as an elevator, a rotory beater or the like,toward the discharge area of the combine. Expansion chambers arenecessarily confined or limited spaces which are prone to plugging dueto the lack of positive engagement of the crop materials. In those priorart machines which employ positive engagement of the crop materials,such as by pulling the materials from the rotor, plugging or bunching ofmaterial can still occur since the high volume of material which flowsbetween the rotor and rotor casing must also be removed therefrom. It isalso difficult to positively transfer the high material volumes at therequired flow rates without malfunction under widely varying cropconditions.

It is frequently desired to have the threshed materials evenly oruniformly dispersed to the ground after the grain or corn has beenremoved therefrom by the combine. But prior art combines have notgenerally been able to accomplish this end without special chute designsdue to the concentrated stream of material discharging from the rotor.Likewise, straw spreaders or choppers are not usable with directdischarge of crop materials in a concentrated stream from the rotor. Theuniform distribution of the threshed materials on the ground makestillage of the soil easier and promotes more rapid decay of the threshedmaterials in the soil. In other instances, it may be desired to gatherthe threshed materials by means of other implements for storage or forfeed to cattle. Many implements suitable for gathering threshedmaterials operate more efficiently and with fewer clogging or pluggingproblems if the threshed materials are distributed with relativeuniformity on the ground rather than in concentrated windrows.

The object of the invention, generally stated, is the provision in anaxial flow combine of new and improved means for discharging orexhausting the threshed materials in a positive, non-clogging manner.

A principal object of the present invention is therefore to provide anovel and improved axial flow combine which provides a relativelyuniform dispersion of the threshed materials across the body width ofthe combine by directly discharging the threshed materials from thedischarge end of the rotor.

A further object is to provide a means of discharging threshed materialfrom the rotor of an axial flow combine which gets the crop materialsout of the narrow spacing between the rotor and rotor casing at therequired crop flow rates so that the rotor is not prone to plug up underall types of crops and conditions, without the need for expansionchambers or rotary apparatus to facilitate the discharge.

Another object of the present invention is to closely surround the rotornear the discharge end with the rotor casing, but with the casingterminating short of the discharge end of the rotor at multiple pointsin relation to the longitudinal axis of the rotor such that the threshedmaterials are tangentially discharged from the rotor at differingcircumferential points for a multi-stream discharge of the threshedmaterials from the combine.

Yet another object is to provide the casing near the discharge end ofthe rotor with a stepped or helical edge in relation to the axis of therotor.

Another object of the invention is to provide methods of uniformlydischarging threshed materials from an axial flow combine with anelongate rotor extending to a discharge area of the combine withdischarge of the threshed materials occurring tangentially from multiplecircumferential points along and around the discharge end of the rotorthrough cutouts in the rotor casing.

A further object is to provide ease of access to the discharge end ofthe rotor such that the rotor may be removed from the rear of thecombine without requiring removal of the header or feeder portions ofthe combine.

An additional object is to provide a discharge area which is simple andis easy to manufacture.

These objects and advantages of the invention, and others, includingthose inherent in the invention, are accomplished by an axial flowcombine with an elongate threshing and separating rotor co-axiallydisposed in a rotor casing and extending therewith into the dischargearea of the combine. Guide vanes disposed on an upper inner surface ofthe rotor casing cooperate with separating elements circumferentiallydisposed about the discharge end of the rotor 10 positively move thethreshed materials toward the discharge end of the combine. The rotorcasing terminates short of the discharge end of the rotor at multiplepoints in relation to the longitudinal axis of the rotor such that thethreshed materials tangentially discharge from the rotor at differingcircumferential points for a multi-stream discharge of the materials.Dispersion of the materials is enhanced by a deflecting plate disposedbelow the cutout portions of the rotor casing such that most of thedischarged materials will deflect rearwardly from the deflecting platefor further spreading across the body width of the combine beforefalling to the ground.

The invention is also concerned with methods for discharging threshedmaterials from an axial flow combine in multiple streams by providingcutouts in the rotor casing, which closely surrounds the discharge endof the rotor, such that the rotor casing terminates short of thedischarge end of the rotor at multiple circumferential points inrelation to the longitudinal axis of the rotor.

The features of the present invention, which are believed to be noveland patentable, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.The invention together with the further advantages thereof, can best beunderstood by reference to the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the several figures inwhich like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly broken away side elevational view, illustrating thegeneral physical arrangement of an axial flow combine in accordance withthe present invention wherein stepped cutouts in the rotor casing nearthe discharge end of the rotor and a deflecting plate disposed belowportions of the discharge end of the rotor exposed by the cutoutsprovide multi-stream spreading of the crop materials across the bodywidth of the combine;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the separating areaof an axial flow rotor in the combine of FIG. 1 illustrating a concaveforming the lower portion of the rotor casing for separating grain fromthe crop materials and helical guide vanes disposed in an upper portionof the rotor casing for progressively moving the crop materials axiallyalong the rotor;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view of the discharge area of thecombine of FIG. 1 illustrating the stepped cutouts in the rotor casingto expose portions of the discharge end of the rotor;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view taken on line 4--4 of the dischargearea shown in FIG. 3 further illustrating the stepped cutouts in therotor casing near the discharge end of the rotor;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the discharge end ofthe rotor with the rotor casing having progressively stepped cutouts inrelation to the axis of the rotor in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic rear elevational view illustrating themulti-stream distribution of threshed materials thrown tangentially fromthe discharge end of the rotor with the stepped shielding cutoutsillustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the discharge end ofthe rotor, similar to FIG. 5, but with a continuous helical edge ortermination of the rotor casing in relation to the axis of the rotor,which provides a generally wedge-shaped cutout in the rotor casing;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic rear elevational view illustrating thedistribution of threshed materials thrown tangentially from the rotorwith the helical edge or termination of the rotor casing as in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a portion of the discharge area ofthe combine of FIG. 1 with a straw chopper attached to the discharge endfor chopping the threshed materials before discharge to the ground; and

FIG. 10 is a partly broken away side elevational view of a portion ofFIG. 1 with a rotary spreading device disposed adjacent a deflectingplate in the discharge area for further spreading threshed materialsbefore discharge to the ground.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a crop harvesting combine, generallydesignated 10, of the axial flow type. A front header portion 11 of thefloating type severs crops close to the ground. Different headers may beprovided for different types of crops, such as corn headers, pickupheaders, or straight cut headers. A feeder 12 conveys the crop materialsto be threshed and separated from a header auger 13 to an axial flowrotor 14. Elevating and conveying means 15 disposed in the feeder 12conveys crop materials from the header 11 to the rotor 14. The elevatingand conveying means 15 operates at a sufficient velocity to adequatelymove the maximum anticipated crop volume from the auger 13 through thefeeder 12. An inlet beater 17 rotates at a higher tangential velocitythan the feeder 12 to accelerate the crop materials for delivery into arotor inlet transition area 18. The feeder 12 is removably mounted oncombine 10 near the axis of the beater 17 by a hinge-like connectionsuch that the header 11 will have a floating action to conform tovariations in the soil surface 21.

Generally disposed above the feeder 12 is a windowed cab 23 containingvarious operating controls (not shown) for observing and controlling thecrop harvesting operation of the combine 10.

The rotor 14 is longitudinally and horizontally disposed in the combine10 and is of sufficient axial dimension to extend from the inlettransition area 18 to a discharge area 24 at the rear of the combine 10.In the inlet transition area 18, the flow of crop materials changes froman axial or straight line flow through the feeder 12 to a helical flowabout the longitudinal axis of the rotor 14. To accomplish thistransition, helical flighting 25 is disposed about a reduced diameterinlet end 26 of the rotor 14, with the flighting 25 being tapered aboutthe axis of the rotor 14 to define a conical-fustrum to permit closerplacement of the inlet beater 17 to the rotor 14 without interferencetherebetween.

The crop materials are delivered by the flighting 25 to a threshing area27 of the rotor 14 whereat a plurality of threshing elements 28 causethe crop materials to undergo shear and impact forces between thethreshing elements 28 and axially disposed bars 29 (FIG. 2) of a concave30. Guide vanes 32 which are helically disposed in relation to the axisof the rotor 14 about the interior top surface of the rotor casing 33cause progressive rearward movement of the crop materials axially alongthe rotor 14 in a modified helical motion about the rotor 14.

Upon movement of the crop materials into a separation area 34, the cropmaterials continue to be subjected to a threshing action, but bydifferent rasp bars or separting elements 35 axially disposed along thesurface of the rotor 14 in conjunction with similar construction of therotor casing 33, including the concave 30 and rotor guide vanes 32, toremove grain or the like from the crop materials.

Grain or the like from the threshing area 27 falls to an oscillatinggrain pan 37 and grain or the like from the separating area 34 falls toan oscillating separating pan 38, or directly onto the chaffer pans 39,with the pans 37, 38 in cascading relationship to a pair of cascadingchaffer pans 36, 39 and a sieve pan 40. A blower 41 provides a source ofair flow to aid in the chaffing and sieving operations such that cleangrain is delivered to a grain auger 42 by an inclined grain pan 43disposed below a portion of the sieve pan 40. Mixed grain and other cropcomponent materials are delivered by another inclined pan 45 generallydisposed below portions of the chaffer pan 39 and sieve pan 40 to aseparation auger 46 for return to the inlet transition area 18 by meansof an elevator 47 for rethreshing by the rotor 14. The grain auger 42delivers the clean grain to a pair of saddle-type grain tanks 48disposed on either side of the rotor 14 for temporary storage of thegrain in the combine 10, or for discharge of the grain from the combinethrough a discharge duct 49.

An internal combustion engine 50 disposed near the rear of the combineabove the rotor casing 33 provides the motive power for the variousmoving elements of the combine 10, including at least a pair of thewheels 51.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the rotor 14extends longitudinally to the rear of the combine 10 into a portion ofthe discharge area 24 and a portion 60 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the rotorcasing 33 likewise extends into the discharge area 24. The lower portion60 of the rotor casing 33 is provided with a smooth nonperforatedsurface unlike the concave 30 in the threshing area 27 or in theseparating area 34. Helical guide vanes 32 continue to be utilized onthe upper inside surfaces of the rotor casing 33 in conjunction with theaxially disposed separating elements 35 on the circumferential surfaceof the rotor 14 to positively engage and move the crop materials towardthe discharge end 53 of the rotor 14. In this respect, it is importantthat the portion 60 of the rotor casing 33 in the discharge area 24closely surround the rotor 14 as in the threshing area 27 and in theseparating area 34, and preferably in the usual co-axial relationshipbetween the rotor 14 and rotor casing 33.

The discharge end 53 of the rotor 14 is supported by an axial shaft 54journaled in a bearing 55 which is in turn supported by a transversebeam 56. The beam 56 and bearing 55 are each threadedly secured for easeof removing the rotor 14 from the rear of the combine 10 for maintenanceor other purposes. Such rearward removal of the rotor 14 eliminates theneed to also remove the header 11 and feeder 12 from the combine 10 toremove the rotor 14 from the front of the combine. Centering pins 57disposed in vertical and spaced apart frame members 58 align withappropriate apertures in the ends of the beam 56 for centering of therotor 14 in the rotor casing 33.

Further in accordance with the present invention, portions 60 of therotor casing 33 which surround the rotor 14 in the discharge area 24 arecutout, either in discrete steps or in a continuous edge in relation tothe longitudinal axis of the rotor 14, such that increasingly greatercircumferential portions of the rotor 14 are exposed along the axis ofthe rotor toward the discharge end 53. That is, the casing portion 60which closely surrounds the rotor 14 near the discharge end 53terminates short of the discharge end 53 at multiple points in relationto the axis of the rotor 14 in a manner which exposes progressivelylarger circumferential portions of the rotor 14 near the end 53. Suchcutouts, as at 63 and 64, cause the threshed materials to tangentiallyleave the rotor 14 from multiple circumferential points as isdiagrammatically illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 8. The multiplicity ofcircumferential points from which the material tangentially leaves therotor 14 effectively spreads the discharge crop materials due to themultistream phenomena. The spreading is further enhanced by a deflectingplate 61 disposed below the discharge end 53 of the rotor 14, with theplate 61 sloping downwardly toward the rear of the combine 10. Most ofthe material discharged from the rotor 14 will strike the plate 61before exhausting to the ground thereby slowing in velocity and beingdeflected rearwardly for further dispersion of the threshed materials.While the deflecting plate 61 is shown as a planar surface in thedrawings, the plate 61 could also assume an appropriate curved surface.The deflecting plate 61 should be at a sufficient height to avoidsignificant restriction of air flow from the blower 41 about the variouschaffer pans 36, 39, 40, 45.

It will be appreciated that a small fraction of the crop materials willgenerally exhaust from the first cutout 63 in the casing portion 60 dueto any of a number of reasons such as matting of some of the cropmaterials during the threshing and separating steps, differing lengthsof the crop materials, or partial or temporary adherence to the rotor14. Thus, any crop materials which do not leave the rotor at the firstor initial cutout 63 in the casing portion 60 will advance toward thedischarge end 53 due to action of the vanes 32 on the upper surface ofthe rotor casing 33 to a larger cutout 64 during the next or successiverotations of the rotor 14. The vanes 32 in cooperation with theseparating elements 35 on the rotor 14 cause the crop materials tofollow a modified helical path about the rotor 14. Since the vanes 32are only disposed on the upper portion of the rotor casing 33, thematerials will tend to follow the helical path of the vanes 32 while incontact therewith. However, the materials will tend to follow a circularpath about the rotor 14 when in contact with the concave 30. The changein pitch associated with one complete revolution through the modifiedhelical path will also depend upon other conditions such as the type ofmaterial being threshed and the rotor speed.

As the various figures indicate, the cutouts 63, 64 are provided on thedownturning side of the rotor 14. It is important to the success of theinvention in discharging large volumes of threshed materials, withoutbinding or plugging, that the materials discharge through the cutouts63, 64 without any restriction which would reduced the natural and hightangential velocity imparted to the materials by the rotor 14. That is,the threshed materials should peel off the rotor 14 without appreciablereduction in tangential velocity which could be caused by restriction atthe cutouts 63, 64. In this regard, it is preferable to have the sum ofthe widths, as measured along the longitudinal axis of the rotor 14, ofthe cutouts 63, 64 somewhat greater than the pitch of the modifiedhelical path defined by the materials about the rotor 14. This insuresthat the materials about the rotor 14 will have at least one chance todischarge through one of the cutouts 63, 64 before reaching thedischarge end 53 of the rotor 14. With some materials and cropconditions, it may be possible to limit the sum of the widths of thecutouts 63, 64 to slightly less than the pitch of the modified helicalpath and still obtain discharge without plugging, binding or otherrestriction.

To insure that none of the crop materials tangentially leave the rotor14 as any undischarged materials begin to reach the upturning side ofthe rotor 14, a rounded cutoff edge 62 extends axially along thecircumference of the rotor 14 to entrain the undischarged crop materialsat the cutoffs 63, 64 against the rotor 14 for at least another partialrevolution of the rotor until the undischarged crop materials againreach one of the cutoffs 63, 64 on the downturning side of the rotor 14.The rounded edge 62 guides the undischarged crop materials against therotor 14 and avoids any material buildup therealong.

It is necessary to provide at least two stepped cutouts 63, 64 in thecasing portion 60 to achieve an adequate dispersion of the dischargedmaterials from the rotor 14. Additional stepped cutouts will generallyenhance the uniformity of the dispersion. Optimum positioning of thecutouts 63, 64 along the downturning side of the rotor 14 willordinarily depend upon a number of factors; for example, the angularvelocity of the rotor 14 and the type of materials being discharged.Stepped cutouts 63, 64 in the casing portion 60 constitute the presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention due to the ease and economy ofmanufacture as compared to a continuous arcuate edge 70 (FIG. 7), suchas a helical edge, which provides a generally wedge-shaped cutout 71.

Regardless of the shape of cutout employed, an important aspect of theinvention is that the cutouts progressively increase in angular width,as measured from the longitudinal axis of the rotor 14, as materialsmove toward the discharge end 53. The threshed materials will thendischarge in streams of substantially equal angular width from therespective cutouts and will change from the modified helical path aboutthe rotor 14 to a sheet of dispersed materials across the body width ofthe combine 10 after deflecting from the plate 61.

To further aid in dispersion of the crop materials, a baffle 65 (FIG. 4)may be vertically disposed between the deflecting plate 61 and theunderside 66 of the cutoff edge 62. The baffle 65 is disposed at anacute angle relative to the axis of the rotor 14 to direct materialsstriking against the baffle out of the discharge area 24. A safetyshield 67 (FIG. 4) may be disposed between the beam 56 and the dischargeend 53 of the rotor 14 to substantially cover the discharge end 53 toavoid personal injury during rotation of the rotor 14 and to avoidwinding of materials about the discharge end 53 or the shaft 54 of therotor 14.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, a rotory chopping device 68 may be attached tothe lower lip 69 of the deflecting plate 61 to chop the discharged cropmaterials before exhausting the same to the ground. Similarly, a rotaryspreading device could be attached to or near the deflecting plate 61for further spreading of the discharged materials. Without the uniformdispersion of the crop materials provided by the present invention,direct attachment of such chopping or spreading devices to the dischargeend of a combine would either not be possible or would not providesatisfactory operation of the devices because the concentration of thedischarged crop materials in a single stream would cause plugging orother unsatisfactory performance.

Implicit in the above description of the structural arrangement fordischarging threshed materials in multiple streams are methods ofdischarging the materials from an axial flow combine. The basic methodincludes the steps of surrounding the rotor with the rotor casing nearthe discharge end for positively moving crop materials toward thedischarge area of the combine and terminating the casing short of thedischarge end of the rotor at angularly increasing widths toward thedischarge end of the rotor such that the threshed materials tangentiallydischarge from the rotor at differing circumferential points formulti-stream discharge of the materials in angular widths substantiallyequal to the angular widths of the terminations. The cutouts may eitherbe stepped in relation to the longitudinal axis of the rotor orcontinuous in relation thereto, such as a helix. An additional step ofproviding a deflecting plate below portions of the discharge end of therotor exposed by cutouts in the casing such that the threshed materialsdeflect from the plate for further spreading before discharge to theground, to further disperse the materials, may also be utilized. Anothervariation of the method may be to provide a curved cutoff edge in thecasing of the rotor in the discharge area of the combine adjacent anupturning side of the rotor to entrain undischarged crop materialsagainst the rotor for at least another partial revolution. A furtherstep of using a rotary chopping or spreading device in an axial flowcombine with a direct discharge system for chopping or spreading thedischarged materials before exhausting the same to the ground may alsobe employed by attaching a rotary chopping or spreading device to ornear the lower end of the deflecting plate 61.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in thefollowing claims.

We claim:
 1. In an axial flow combine having a threshing and separatingrotor co-axially disposed in a generally cylindrical casing provided onthe interior with guide vanes for imparting a generally helical movementto the crop material, the improvement comprising:having portions of saidcasing terminating short of the discharge end of the rotor inprogressively increasing angular widths in the direction of thedischarge end whereby the threshed materials discharge in streams havingangular widths substantially equal to the angular widths of saidterminating portions.
 2. The axial flow combine as in claim 1 whereinthe sum of the axial lengths of said terminating portions exceeds thepitch of said generally helical path adjacent the discharge end.
 3. Theaxial flow combine as in claim 1 wherein said casing terminations definea plurality of steps in relation to the longitudinal axis of the rotor.4. The axial flow combine as in claim 1 wherein the casing terminationsdefine a generally helical edge in relation to the longitudinal axis ofthe rotor.
 5. The axial flow combine as in claim 1 wherein said rotorand said casing are essentially horizontally disposed in said combine.6. The axial flow combine as in claim 5 wherein deflecting means isdisposed below portions of the rotor terminations in said casing suchthat the threshed materials which tangentially discharge from multiplecircumferential points of the rotor are deflected rearwardly by thedeflecting means before discharge to the ground.
 7. The axial flowcombine as in claim 6 further comprising chopping means disposedadjacent said deflecting means for chopping the directly dischargedmaterials before dispersion to the ground.
 8. The axial flow combine asin claim 6 further comprising rotary spreading means disposed adjacentsaid deflecting means for spreading the directly discharged materialsbefore dispersion to the ground.
 9. In an axial flow combine forthreshing and separating crop materials including a rotor coaxiallydisposed in a generally cylindrical casing, the improvementcomprising:the rotor and rotor casing extending longitudinally in saidcombine substantially coextensively to adjacent the discharge endthereof, the rotor adapted to discharge threshed materials at thedischarge end through the rotor casing in a multi-stream manner, adeflecting plate disposed below the discharge end of the rotor, androtary chopping means disposed adjacent to the lower edge of saiddeflecting plate, and said deflecting plate being adapted to deflect atleast a portion of said multi-stream discharge of crop materials intosaid rotary chopping means.